Archived Content

Information released online from June 2012 to September 2017.Note: Content in this archive site is NOT UPDATED, and external links may not function. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

Speeches

It is a great honor to be here in my third week in the Philippines as the new Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development, commonly known as USAID. USAID is the lead U.S. government agency that works to end global poverty and enable democratic, resilient societies to realize their potential. As part of U.S. Embassy Philippines, I bring you the greetings of the U.S. Ambassador, the Honorable Sung Kim.

I would like to start by acknowledging all your hard work to strengthen education governance in Philippines. I understand that yesterday was an inspiring first day of the summit. You heard from a variety of distinguished speakers — including mayors, governors and education officials — who discussed their insights on education governance, based on their rich experiences. I am certain the learning will continue today.

USAID is proud to partner with the Synergeia Foundation to implement the Education Governance Effectiveness project, affectionately known as EdGE.

The private sector plays a critical role in striving for the great potential that Afghanistan and its people have to offer. In the most literal sense, this event is about connecting Afghan businesses with Indian investors. With these connections comes an inherent responsibility. Investment is a two way street. If you – as a business person – see an opportunity to import goods or finance a start-up, naturally you are seeking a return on that investment. What might not always be so evident, however, is that you are investing in the success of that society. You are investing in the health of its workers. You are investing in the education of its children. And you are investing in a nation poised to expand and share its wealth of goods, culture, and pride.

The new Feed the Future Cambodia Harvest II program will aim to accelerate growth in the commercial horticulture sector. We are focusing on this sector because Cambodia produces only one-third of the vegetables that its people consume at this time. The rest of the vegetables come from neighboring countries. Given that the agriculture industry employs over 70 percent of the population, we believe that Cambodia could be producing more healthy and nutritious vegetables to better feed its citizens. That is why we are working with the Cambodian government, businesses, universities here and abroad, and farmers to ensure that Cambodian agriculture can feed the Cambodia people.

On behalf of the Embassy of the United States in New Delhi, India, I am honored to welcome you to the Passage to Prosperity, the India-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Show. I also want to give a very special welcome to our esteemed guests from Afghanistan led by Minister Rakash.

Minister Jaitley, Minister Raju, we are honored by your presence at this inaugural ceremony. Your participation speaks to India’s leadership in promoting peace, prosperity, and stability in the region.

The One Health approach recognizes that the health of animals, humans, and the environment are all linked, and for this reason, confronting health threats requires collaboration across sectors. We need to improve our collaborative thinking. We need to reach across different sectors to help professors to teach and to encourage students to learn. We need to strengthen the connections between pre-service and in-service training. If we do these things, we have an exciting opportunity to change how Cambodian health professionals respond to zoonotic disease threats. We have the opportunity to change not only how faculty look at and teach about these disease threats, but to strengthen and improve the professional skills of the next generation of Cambodian health professionals. We have the opportunity to make a difference in Cambodia’s health security and the security of the Southeast Asia region.

I’m proud to note that under the USAID-supported Ahmedabad Sanitation Action Lab project, more than 130,000 children have benefitted from access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities and the adoption of WASH and Menstrual Hygiene Management practices.

The Urban Management Centre has done outstanding work to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene, providing courses to more than 10,000 adolescent school girls and boys in schools and communities. Globally, girls continue to either drop out of school or miss days every month. This is one way in which we are helping to break the taboo.

At USAID, we take partnership very seriously and believe that it is part and parcel of how we operate in India. Our mantra has been: “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go together.”Over the past few years, we’ve worked with more than 100 organizations from the private sector where we co-fund and co-design programs to address development challenges in the area of maternal and child health, tuberculosis, energy, early literacy, WASH, and financial inclusion.

Good morning. I am honored to be with you today to celebrate the commendable progress that has been made to protect and conserve the Mara River Basin. Famous all over the world for its beautiful landscapes and rich biodiversity, the Mara-Serengeti attracts millions of tourists each year between July and October to watch the spectacular wildebeest migration. Not only does the Mara River need to be protected because of its one-of-a-kind migration phenomenon and natural beauty, but also because the Mara River is critical for people’s livelihoods in Kenya, Tanzania and throughout the entire East African region.

The EPIC social business incubator is one way our Development Innovations project helps Cambodians solve problems with information and communication technologies. EPIC has helped support eleven teams of entrepreneurs to create and grow startups that solve some pressing social problems. They work to address problems like the need for English language teaching resources, the lack of expertise about food safety concerns, and the need for safe housing options for Cambodians who come to Phnom Penh to study or find work. Congratulations to all the teams, and to Impact Hub and Development Innovations, for all the hard work involved with running this program and getting us to today's EPIC Showcase.